Законодавчі ініціативи УСПП

One of the ways to enhance business climate is improvement of laws and regulations. Industrialists and entrepreneurs contribute to the improvement of the legal basis while being members of public boards and councils at the majority of executive agencies. They work closely with the municipal and regional councils and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. There are around 100 people's deputies of all levels among ULIE activists.

Over the recent 10 years the ULIE has drafted and submitted via its representatives in the parliament around 300 legal initiatives, more than 30 of which were implemented in relevant laws of Ukraine. They refer to taxation, national security, state procurement, regulatory policy, small- and medium-sized businesses, support for some economy spheres, criminal legislation, intellectual property, social dialogue, etc.

Today the ULIE continues to work on economic regulatory documents that focus on the proposals to the legislation on state procurement, industrial development, import substitution programs, launch of big energy saving projects, etc. The League focuses its attention on the adaptation of economic activities in connection with the signature of the Association Agreement with the EU and on public controls over the elaboration of the rules for the functioning of a free trade area with the EU.

In 2014, the ULIE directed its efforts on the minimization of possible adverse effect of amendments to the Tax Code on entrepreneurs. Several roundtable discussions and meetings of the Economic Council (the predecessor of the Anti-Crisis Council of NGOs) were held in order to explain widely that instead of using tax innovations as a sophisticated way to tighten the screws and strengthen fiscal pressure they should motivate businesses for development, expansion and improvement of their products. Thus, the electronic system for VAT administration was launched in a test mode until July 1, 2015 and the demand to take into account all substitutes of VAT negative value and outstanding state reimbursement was approved.

The program of top-priority tasks for the government and businesses aimed at overcoming the socio-economic crisis in Ukraine was the most outstanding intellectual product of the League in 2014. At the end of 2014, the Anti-Crisis Council of NGOs drew up the anti-crisis program of joint actions of the government and businesses and submitted it to the government.

It stressed that the unprecedented crisis, which is characterized by a slump in economic activity, a reduction of industrial production, capital outflow and the worsening of social standard of living, is becoming even more escalated due to the lack of decisive regular steps of the government aimed at facing these challenges as well as the distance between its representatives and the civil society.

The anti-crisis program of joint actions of the government and businesses contains the demands to stabilize monetary and credit policy of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), proposes to develop and implement a program of affordable crediting of the real sector of economy by state and commercial banks, reduce the surrender of forex proceeds from 75% to 50%, cancel surrender of forex proceeds, increase the term of settlement on export/import operations and so on.

Fiscal policy of the government has to be changed dramatically – the punitive supervision model should be dropped and replaced by motivating programs for entrepreneurship. Urgent measures include modernization of income tax, reform of value added tax, in particular guarantee of VAT reimbursement and cancellation of the law on the introduction of the electronic system for VAT administration. Support for small- and medium-sized businesses during the crisis will give a chance to relax social tension due to self-employment of the population. Businesses in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area require complex protection.

The business community stresses the necessity to intensify cooperation with the EU and take real steps towards the implementation of the Association Agreement. Ukraine needs to develop a national program for the adaptation of its economy to the conditions of free trade with the EU.

The anti-crisis program contains requirements for the industrial policy development, support for domestic producers, energy security, development of export policy, decentralization, personnel policy, intensification of fight against corruption.

Entrepreneurs believe that all initiatives outlined in the program can be effectively implemented only in close cooperation with businesses. The business community insists that the public should join in the reform development and implementation process in Ukraine, as effective social dialogue guarantees the society's support and understanding of the government's initiatives.

Law Department

Phone: (044) 278 4630, (044) 279 7994

E-mail: konobase@ukr.net